Posts Tagged“wiemer”

Weekly New York Wine News — February 2, 2015

NEWS Wine Searcher – 1/28/2015 Beverage lawyer Lindsey Zahn looks at the implications of the confrontation between Empire Wines and the New York State Liquor Authority. Daily Messenger – 1/28/2015 Classes open at the brand new Viticulture Center at Finger Lakes Community College. We Are Seneca Lake – 1/28/2015 Farmers, Chefs, Wine Makers, Bartenders, Restaurant Owners and Finger Lakes Food Lovers Host Protest Banquet at Crestwood Midstream Gate in Continuing Civil Disobedience Campaign Against Seneca Lake Gas Storage. Fox News – 1/28/2015 Luis Garcia, Director of Services for Paige Hospitality Group chooses Herman J. Weimer Riesling as the perfect Super…

Guest Post: Hermann J. Wiemer Stands Out at TasteCamp 2010 (Remy Charest, The Wine Case)

Hermann J. Wiemer winemaker Fred Merwarth discussing his winemaking philosophy By Remy Charest, The Wine Case This may not come as that much of a surprise to those familiar with the Finger Lakes, but the region does make really great riesling. For participants in the second edition of Tastecamp EAST, however, this three-day, three-lake stint in the region was a great opportunity to confirm that the region indeed lives up to its reputation in that respect: just like merlot in Long Island – Tastecamp’s first destination, last year – the Finger Lakes' flagship grape consistently delivers. Throughout the weekend, we…

Hermann J. Wiemer 2008 Late Harvest Riesling

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief The first time I encountered a Hermann J. Wiemer "Late Harvest" Riesling — last summer in their tasting room on Seneca Lake — I was a bit confused. Aren't most dessert wines bottled in 375 ml bottles rather than 750? I think it was my wife Nena who actually asked "Is this a dessert wine?" as general manager Oskar Bynke poured the 2007 of this wine for us. No, it's not dessert wine. But the grapes that go into it are harvested later than most of their other riesling. "Late Harvest" is more akin to Spatlese…

Hermann J. Wiemer 2008 Dry Riesling

By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Hermann J. Wiemer is what I call an "any vintage" winery. What I mean is that, regardless of the conditions throughout the growing season, this is a winery that can be counted on for good wines. They truly do the best with what Mother Nature gives, even if she doesn't give much. Making good wines even in lesser years is a testament to co-owner and winemaker Fred Merwarth's talents and attention to detail.  So what happens in good years, like 2008 for Finger Lakes rieslings? Wines like this one happen. This Hermann J. Wiemer 2008 Dry…

Wine on Tap: Local Restaurant, Wineries Go Beyond Bag-in-Box

Verace, a newly opened Italian restaurant in Islip, NY with three local wines on tap. By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief Photos courtesy of Verace  I think we've all been there — in a restaurant that may or may not pay much attention to its wine list and may or may not pay even less attention to their by-the-glass selection — more or less offering whatever is already open, and over-charging you for it. You order a glass anyway, knowing that you're playing by-the-glass roulette. Before you even take a sip, you can pinpoint how long the bottle has been open —…

When it Rains it’s Poor: Challenging Weather, But a Silver Lining

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Editor Photography by Morgan Dawson Photography Harvest is coming, and if any winemaker or grape grower tells you that things are right where they need to be in the vineyard, they're spinning like crazy.  In basic terms, most growers in the Finger Lakes are anywhere from 10 to 14 days behind ripening schedule. It's not just a lack of heat that has been a problem. The heavy and near-constant June rains put growers in a difficult spot, and July simply failed to dry it out and heat things up. In other words: No pressure, August,…

Hermann J. Wiemer 2007 Dry Riesling

By Lenn Thompson, Editor and Publisher One should never assume that the wineries with the best reputations make the best wines. In fact, I'm often skeptical of these "best" wineries. Sometimes wineries that worked hard to earn their reputations rest on their laurels a bit, feeling as though they've arrived at the pinnacle of the industry. Others never truly earned their place at all, instead relying on superior marketing and public relations. Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, on the western side of Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York is one winery that not only earned its reputation…

Wineries Open Their Libraries With Older Finger Lakes Rieslings

By Evan Dawson, Finger Lakes Correspondent Photos by Morgan Dawson It's about time. See what I did there? Clever, right? I've been waiting for quite a while to see Finger Lakes wineries celebrate the aging potential of their rieslings, and many are finally doing it. It's about time. I've also been encouraging my friends to lay a few bottles down or seek out older bottles — it's about, well, time. More than anything else, tasting older wines is pure fun. The wine is not only a snapshot of a given year; it's a story that has changed over the years.…

Quick Q&A with Fred Merwarth, Winemaker, Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard

One of the very first Finger Lakes wines that I remember tasting was a riesling from Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard (I can't remember the vintage). I was still fairly new to wine, but enjoyed German rieslings even then, and I remember being surprised at how lively and delicious the Wiemer was. Unfortunately, Wiemer wines aren't widely available to me down here on Long Island, so I don't drink them as often as I'd like, but they are definitely worth seeking out. For today's Q&A, we pose our questions to Fred Merwarth, long-time winemaker at Wiemer. What (and where) was the…